Dreaded Realizations
by Scottypop
Summary: *Spoilers for Acid!Tokyo* With their family falling apart at their fingertips, all they can do is survive. When something terrible happens to one of the members, Fai must come to terms with himself, but what will occur afterwards? Rated M for violence.
1. With a Price to be Paid

**Note;** Hello, readers -w- This is my first attempted story. I'm sorry if it's bad, but it should get better later on. This will be a story with hopefully three or four chapters (I can't call it a miniseries, with the long chapters). Well, enjoy - read and review, please!

**Warnings;** Not a KuroSyao fanfic. Sure, I don't mind the pairing, but this is a father/son relationship. Later on, there will be KuroFai. If you don't like shonen-ai/yaoi, please – don't read.

**Disclaimer;** I do not own _Tsubasa_.

------

The smog-filled, rusty-tinted city's inhabitants moved slowly and tiredly through the ruined streets. Suddenly, there were loud screams of 'The world's falling apart!', and 'The sky is splitting open! They are going to destroy us!' The news spread around the destroyed city quickly, and soon everyone was running around rapidly.

A teardrop shaped hole opened in the sky, and slowly lowered itself down to the ground. The minute it touched the bricks and stones, it burst open and dropped a man clothed entirely in black onto his stomach, his face turned to the side and his eyes shut tightly in pain. A blonde-haired man wearing a black trench coat-type coat, along with black skin-tight pants dropped into a sitting position on top of the other man, his single blue eye glaring daggers at the back of his head.

The two other figures, a brown-haired girl and boy, landed unsteadily on their feet. A white creature dropped silently onto the boy's shoulder, as he raced over to the two men, and dropped to his knees beside the one on the ground. He placed a hand on his shoulder and shook rapidly as the blonde stood swiftly and hurried over to the girl, taking one of her hands in both of his. The blonde then escorted the female down the street, neither of them giving the other two a backwards glance.

The boy watched them leave with a passive look on his face, before returning his attention to the raven-haired man on the ground in front of him.

"Wake up, Kurogane-san. You don't have to worry about arguing with him right now – Fai-san has taken Sakura-hime to find a hotel… I think." He murmured softly, ignoring the pestering eyes that stared at them from every direction. The man immediately rolled over and sat upright, his eyes shooting open and remaining in a half-lidded state.

The bystanders shrieked in shock at the demonic eyes that glared aggressively at them, and immediately fled the scene. Kurogane watched them go with an emotionless look on his tanned, handsome face.

"Thanks, kid. Anyways… Manjuu, do you sense a feather?" The man's gruff voice cut through the thick, heated air as he forced himself to his feet. He was beginning to regret wearing so much black in such heat…

"Mokona can sense _something_… Mokona thinks it's a feather, but Mokona can't tell for sure…" The white creature mumbled uncertainly, and stiffened as a small hand patted it on the head.

"It's alright, Mokona. We'll just search for a while, and see if we can find the feather. You're a big help." The boy smiled at the creature, whose eyes filled up with tears.

"Syaoran… Thank you…" Mokona cried, clinging tightly to his neck.

"Alright, alright. Enough with the sappy crap." A rough voice interrupted them, and Syaoran and Mokona couldn't help but laugh. Kurogane's red eyes tinted with irritation at this laughter, and he narrowed them.

"What are you laughing at?" He hissed benevolently. Mokona just grinned widely and pointed at Kurogane with one stubby paw.

"You."

"Why you little-" The ninja began in anger, one hand reaching out to enclose the creature within its grasp when someone cleared their throat impatiently, interrupting them.

"Are you three coming?" Fai asked in a cold voice, narrowing his single eye in annoyance. Syaoran's smile faded instantly, and his amber eyes stared back into Fai's eye with distrust. Kurogane did not even look at Fai – instead, his head snapped to the side, and he leaped backwards as an arrow landed between him and the boy.

"Kid!" Kurogane's voice cut through the air as another twang sounded, releasing another arrow in their direction. Syaoran was too slow to avoid the hidden attack, and the arrow struck him in the left side of his hip. Red liquid spotted dark on the fabric of his shirt, and his amber eyes widened in shock.

"Syaoran!" Mokona held on tightly to Syaoran's neck as the boy stumbled back. Fai stared on with indifference showing in his prominent eye, but inwardly his stomach was churning. Even if he did not trust this boy, it did not mean that he wished for such pain to be inflicted upon him.

There was a raucous cheering from those hidden in the shadows, and they made a move to advance forward to finish Syaoran off when a glint of steel appeared in the dim lighting.

Kurogane had slammed his left hand down on the hilt of Souhi, and his thumb shoved it out of the hilt. The people shrieked and fled in terror, tripping and sprawling over one another in their haste to escape. The brown-haired boy's legs chose that moment to give way, and he collapsed backwards onto the ground.

A large hand took hold of his wrist before he struck the ground, and the boy was grimly reminded of the time that his clone had collapsed in the country of Recourt. Mokona hopped from Syaoran's shoulder onto Kurogane's soundlessly, staring in worry at the boy.

"You alright, kid?" Kurogane muttered, his red eyes narrowing once more on the injury that the arrow had inflicted.

"F-Fine." Syaoran replied in a soft voice, shifting painfully. He gave a not-so-subtle wince, and reached down to pull the arrow out.

"Here, I'll get it." He glanced up in shock at the tall man, as a tanned hand grasped the arrow.

"Take a deep breath, and hold it." Kurogane warned, and the boy was quick to comply. The man gave an experimental tug, before counting to three in his head and ripping the arrow from Syaoran's hip. The brunette gave an uncharacteristic yelp of pain, attempting to curl up on himself.

'_Great… I can't lift him onto my back, because of where the wound is… I have to carry this kid…_' Kurogane thought to himself silently, furrowing his brow.

Syaoran flinched as he felt the blood continued to pump slowly from his wound. As he closed his eyes tightly, he heard a 'Feh' from in front of him, and he was tugged up into the air, and settled against something warm and moving.

"Stay still, or it will take longer for the blood to clot and your wound to stop bleeding." Syaoran's eyes opened, and he gazed uncertainly up at Kurogane's stoic face. He was nestled comfortably in the man's arms, like a father would hold his son.

"… Thank you, Kurogane-san." Syaoran murmured, as his eyes dropped shut and his breathing began to even out.

"Let's go, we've wasted too much time." Fai muttered quietly, starting off down the street. The ninja glared at the back of his head, before shifting the kid uneasily in his arms and starting off down the road.

------

"Ah, it's you again… Yes, you and your friends are in room one-oh-seven." The man at the counter stated in an almost bored voice, pointing to the stairs. Fai nodded his head politely, and started off in the direction of the stairs. The secretary for the hotel raised his head, and stared in fright at the red eyes that glowered back at him.

"C-Can I help you…?" He asked in a voice tinted with desperation, and began to slowly wring his hands in a clearly unnerved way.

"Do you have a first aid kit." Kurogane asked bluntly, quirking an eyebrow in cynicism.

"Y-Yes! Masayoshi-kun, bring the kit!"

"What kit?"

"The first aid kit!"

"Okay?"

"_Now_!"

"Y-Yes!" The black-haired boy scrambled towards the door at the force behind the man's words, and tugged open one of the other doors in the room. After a moment of rummaging around, Masayoshi returned with the dusty kit in hand. Kurogane snatched it from his hand and turned towards the stairs, casting a backwards glance over his shoulder.

"I'll return the kit later, alright?"

"Take your time, good sir!" The man quivered warily, cowering behind his desk.

Kurogane just grunted in acquiescence and made his way up the stairs, closing his eyes. A presence exited a door nearby to the staircase, and made an impatient noise.

"Come on." Fai's voice sounded from nearby, and Kurogane's red eyes opened slightly.

"Shut it." He snapped vehemently, patience wearing thin. Fai made a small noise before turning away, slamming open the door and stalking inside. The ninja followed silently after, the unconscious boy lying dormant in his arms.

------

"So, it is a feather then, manjuu."

"Yes."

"Well, do you know where it is?"

"No."

"It's alright, Mokona. Kurogane and I will go get it."

"But, Fai-san-"

"No buts, Sakura-chan. We're doing this for you."

"What if the thing that has the feather is dangerous? You might get hurt."

"I'll risk my life for you, my princess. If I die, at least it will not be in vain."

Kurogane gave a rumble from his throat, and glanced down at the boy who lay on the couch beside him. As if on cue, Syaoran gave a low groan and his eyelids flickered before opening slowly.

"Take it slow, kid. That injury isn't going to heal if you make sudden movements." Kurogane spoke in a quiet voice, ignoring the conversation going on across the room between the Princess and the vampire.

"Yes, Kurogane-san." Syaoran smiled up at the black-haired man, before sitting up carefully.

"Any lead on the feather?"

"Yes. The mage and I are going to go get it, because you're injured." A flicker of some indescribable emotion crossed his face, and Syaoran winced slightly.

"I'm sorry, Kurogane-san-" The brunette began in an apologetic tone, when he growled deep in his chest.

"Don't apologize. Wasn't your fault." The taller man replied in a short voice, before standing swiftly.

"Kid, stay here with… Sakura-hime." He stated in a dull voice, before turning and striding confidently out the door. Fai and Sakura both stared wide-eyed at the man's retreating back before the door slammed shut. Syaoran sat silently on the couch, his amber eyes staring at the broken down coffee table.

Fai cleared his throat unsteadily, before forcing himself to his feet.

"We will be back soon." He stated before kissing the back of Sakura's hand, and exiting the hotel room.

"Is your wound alright?" Sakura asked in a bland voice, half-expecting the normal polite answer, and half-expecting nothing at all.

"It's fine. Nothing to concern yourself over." Syaoran replied, before laying himself back down on the couch and turning away. Mokona stared at the boy, before switching its gaze onto the princess.

'_I miss Kuro-daddy, Fai-mommy, and them…_' Mokona thought sadly, tears spilling over its white cheeks. Mokona hopped into Sakura's waiting arms, and sobbed softly into her dress.

------

"You're not serious about this – we've already discussed it! The problem was solved!" Kurogane snapped in a clear show of annoyance, casting the blonde a sideways glare.

"I'm dead serious, Kurogane. Why? Do you have a _problem_ with me wanting to risk my life?" Fai retorted smoothly, his tone chilling the ninja's name past the point of recognition. Kurogane gave a not-so-subtle flinch at those words, but his gaze only hardened against Fai's emotional attacks.

"Because every single time you risk your life, one of us has to pay for it!" The black-haired man hissed darkly.

"Every single time, one of us has to give up something so you won't die-"

"Then why don't you just let me die? That way, there's nothing that would make you lose something important to you, and I would be out of your hair." The one-eyed Vampire interjected smoothly, quirking his visible eyebrow cynically.

The ninja gave a low growl from his chest, and he opened his mouth to argue with Fai when a wall blasted out from behind them. Rubble showered down on the two figures, and Fai had to shield his pale face from the shredding pieces of brick.

"W-What the Hell?!" Kurogane leaped back in surprise as wind buffeted his form, and a claw struck down at where he had been standing only moments before. The dust slowly began to clear, and when it finally did, Kurogane felt his heart sink.

The creature that stood before them was a dragon – scratch that. It looked like a mutated dragon – its form was seemingly bloated in certain areas, and thin in others. Overall, it looked like it was combusting from the inside out, and was ready to explode at any given moment.

Fai stared incredulously at the mutated creature in front of him, and felt himself paralyzed – unable to move as that large claw swung for his head, intending to rip it from his frail body with one strike. Something about this dragon felt familiar, and with Fai, that was _never_ a good sign.

Before the claw could reach his flesh, though, what remaining breath he had was forcefully expelled from his lungs as a body slammed into his. Two strong arms were wrapped around him as the ninja leaped up onto a piece of the rubble, and dropped him unceremoniously on the stone.

"Don't just stand there, you idiot! That thing was going to kill you!" Kurogane reprimanded in a severe tone, his crimson eyes glaring daggers at the blonde. Fai just hung his head in shame, his thoughts a muddled mass of confusion.

"If it's coming for you, avoid it. It will do us no good to have you injured, or worse, dead." The tanned man continued, before leaping forward. He drew Souhi in midair and flipped, bringing the sword down on the dragon's left wrist. The creature bugled with alarm, before it cut off into a piercing shriek. The taloned paw fell to the ground, completely dismembered by the long blade. Fai swallowed the bile that threatened to rise in his throat at the black blood that dripped from the amputated limb.

Kurogane landed gracefully on the ground, but he was forced to stumble forward and duck to avoid the other set of claws that suddenly came flying for his head. The dragon was proving to be more intelligent then it appeared, though – its speared tail whistled as it sped through the air, and the side of it struck Kurogane in the chest. The ninja's breath was expelled from him in a painful gasp, and his body was flung carelessly into the rubble.

"Kurogane!" Fai shouted in astonishment, his single azure eye widening as his body froze. He could only watch in horror as his prey's body was sent into the rubble, and pierced a sharp rock.

"Stay back, mage!" The rough voice yelled back, laced with something atone to weariness. His body shook with effort as he raised himself to his feet. Kurogane wiped at his mouth repeatedly – blood was seeping from the corner, and tainted his mouth with a copper taste. The crimson liquid was staining the back of his shirt, from where the rock had pierced through his flesh and struck his spine.

The raven-haired man swung Souhi to meet the claw that came for him next, and a painful grinding noise emanated from the two objects meeting. Kurogane appeared unaffected by the sound, but Fai gritted his fangs and clapped his hands over his sensitive ears. Oh, how he was cursing Kurogane at this very moment.

The claw pushed down on the blade, and the ninja tried to match that show of strength. It proved too much for him, though, and he was sent careening back into the rubble again. The dragon howled in victory, and swung its taloned paw down, one of the claws impaling Kurogane in the side.

"… A-Augh!" Kurogane screamed in pain, blood spurting from the wound as the dragon removed the bloodied talon. The creature roared with delight again and flapped its unnaturally small wings.

Fai's blue eye widened in shock once more, and changed into a molten gold colour with a cat eye slit when the scent of his bait's blood filled the air. He raced forward, the tips of the fingers on his gloves ripping as the vampire claws emerged from them. Said claws lengthened and sharpened to a deadly point as he knelt beside the ninja, staring down at his stoic, emotionless face.

"Kurogane, I-" He began feebly, but the ninja's hand struck him weakly in the shoulder.

"S-Shut it, you st-stupid id-iot. I've decided t-to do th-this." Kurogane forced himself into a sitting position, wincing ever-so-slightly at the pain that erupted in his side. Ignoring the blood that continued to pour from the shredded skin and pool on the ground, he shot forward, swinging Souhi in a wide arc. The dragon's victorious cry turned into one of agony as the blade sliced clean across its underbelly, ripping the small, thin scales from the flesh and tearing easily through the thin layer of skin. Black liquid shot out from the wound, covering the ninja's right arm and part of his injured side in a thick spatter of it.

"Kurogane! Dragons' blood is acidic, no matter what type it is!" Fai's warning came moments too late, though, and Kurogane yelped uncharacteristically at the burning sensation that covered his arm. The flesh that surrounded his large wound began to rot away, until it reached the edge of the acid. In a final ditch effort, Kurogane hefted Souhi up, aimed and then threw it. The silver edge gleamed eerily in the light as it struck the dragon in the left side of the chest, embedding deep within the scales.

The creature gave a horrifying shriek as parts of it began to bloat further, and then explode. A large, seemingly mutated object fell from its chest, and landed on the ground. The disfigured item continued to beat, though it slowed considerably. Fai and Kurogane stared in complete horror at the still-beating heart, until it finally stopped.

Other organs fell to the ground and rotted slowly with a disgusting scent hovering in the musky air. The dragon's tail swung around, and its tip sliced through Kurogane's sword arm, cutting deep into the muscle and severing multiple nerves. The ninja finally let out an agonized scream, dropping to his knees as his other hand flew up to grasp the wound, with his eyes tightly shut in a futile attempt to dull the pain.

Finally, the creature imploded on itself, and the innards destroyed themselves, turning into dust and floating away in the hot, incinerating wind. The sense of danger did not fade from either of the men, though – it remained, and Kurogane cracked one blood red eye open warily. The large amount of scales pattered to the ground like the much-needed rain, and a shadowed figure finally stepped out of it. Fai gawked at the male, his jaw dropping.

"S-Syaoran-kun?!"

"No-" Kurogane began, and the boy's two amber eyes blinked at Fai.

"Yes, Fai-san?" Syaoran responded innocently, cocking his head. He strode easily past the hunched ninja, who was currently struggling over to where his blade lay forgotten on the ground. The blonde's eye reverted back to blue, and he stiffened at the sight of the fancy weapon in Syaoran's hand. At this moment, though, the vampire did not notice that the boy was walking perfectly fine now.

"… Where… How… I thought we left you back in the hotel with Sakura-chan?" Fai began weakly, blinking in confusion. Kurogane had finally latched onto Souhi, and he was struggling to his feet, stumbling in agony towards the other two.

"You did." The amber-eyed boy gave Fai a cold-hearted smile before bringing his arm back. He stabbed it forward, and Fai's eye widened in a complete show of shock. Blood spattered on the rock, the crimson liquid giving the dull grey stone a lively colour as it created a painting of pain.

The sword pierced through one body entirely, and stabbed into another. Kurogane's eyes remained wide, and Souhi was dropped from a nerveless hand. Fai choked and coughed, spraying blood from his mouth as the sword was removed from between his ribcage.

"K-Kurogane!" Fai cried out in pain, his arms reaching out and enclosing the ninja, who slumped against him once the blade was ripped unceremoniously from his muscled body. Thin arms wrapped themselves around his chest as he slowly began to fall towards the ground. Fai lowered himself to his knees, the large body clutched in his arms following him down without hesitance.

"Don't d-die… You're important to the… Kids… And me…" Kurogane's voice faded away, his crimson eyes finally falling shut as his entire body went limp in Fai's arms. The blonde closed his eye, his jaw clenching painfully as he lowered his head momentarily. Finally, something exploded within him, and his head snapped back up, single eye flaring with anger.

"You bastard! I won't let you do this!" He screamed, his eye pulsing its cerulean blue. Fai raised his right hand, and began drawing rapidly in the air. Syaoran dropped the decorated weapon he had stabbed them with, and drew back with his amber eyes wide. His hands were raised in front of him.

"Fai-san, wait! Please don't kill me-" He began quickly, trying not to stammer over his words. It was too late for him, though – a beam of white light pierced through his chest, spattering blood in every direction.

"H-How…" Syaoran began in a hoarse voice.

"H-How did you k-know?!" He thundered, before breaking off into a fit of coughing. The outline around him shimmered, and in a flare of light, Ashura appeared – doubled over – in front of the blonde figure.

"He knew – he tried to warn me." Fai murmured sorrowfully, glancing down at the man in his arms.

--

"_S-Syaoran-kun?!"_

"_No-" Kurogane began, and the boy's two amber eyes blinked at Fai._

_--_

"He knew. So I figured it out. He said 'no' to Syaoran-kun's name, so you must not have been him – I didn't notice that at the time, though. Ashura-ou, I've finally granted your wish!" Fai's voice raised in tone, until he was yelling with unleashed fury at the black-haired king.

"You did well with that disguise of a dragon - you even made the blood acidic… But, Kurogane has risked his life for me again. Now, it's time I repay the favour – by doing something he couldn't do." Fai smiled coldly at the man who was once a powerful king. Ashura's stone-coloured eyes widened at the blonde as his life's liquid drained quickly from his body, covering the rocks with the slippery copper-tasting liquid.

"I can kill _you_." Finally, the man's body gave out, and he collapsed lifelessly onto the stones beneath him.

"I'm so sorry, Kurogane…" Fai murmured, his blue eye welling up with tears as he stared down at the unconscious, half-dead body in his arms. Lifting Kurogane in his arms and cradling him – much like he had done Syaoran when the boy had been injured – he started off for the hotel. For once, Fai was grateful for his incredible strength that came from being a Vampire.

He didn't have much time left, if he was going to save the ninja.

------

Syaoran opened his eyes and sat up quickly when the door opened. Sakura's jade-coloured gaze moved in the same direction, and she stood up immediately when a bloodied Fai limped through the door, Kurogane passed out in his arms.

"Fai-san?!" The princess could not hide the surprise and fear lacing her tone of voice. The vampire gave her an apologetic look, and started in shock as he felt someone tugging on one of his arms.

"Come on, lay him on the couch." Syaoran limped over and tugged the blanket up, gesturing at the cushions.

"You don't understand…" Fai murmured, tears filling his single, azure eye and threatening to spill onto his cheeks.

"What don't we understand, Fai-san?" Sakura murmured in a soft tone, worry prominent on her face.

"He's… He's half-dead."

"What?!" Syaoran cried out, dropping the blanket in surprise. Sakura's breath caught in her throat, and she clapped her hands over her mouth.

"You can't see it very well, because he's not in the light… Give me a moment…" Fai strode quickly over to the cushioned piece of furniture, and he lay the unconscious ninja down upon them.

Syaoran, Mokona and Sakura all crowded around the injured man, and their breathing became hitched with choked sobs. There was a large stab wound in his side from where the talon had pierced, along with many slashes and other stab wounds from different objects he had been thrown into. His tattered, black shirt revealed many bruises, as well as burned flesh.

"He's not going to make it, is he…" Syaoran sounded disbelieving, and his eyes welled up with tears that spilled over almost instantaneously. The only father figure he had been around in so many years was dying in front of him.

"Mokona. Call Yuuko-san. Now." Fai commanded, his eye flaring brightly with newfound hope. Mokona nodded, concentrating for a moment before a light was unleashed from the ruby jewel on its forehead, and Yuuko's image appeared on the wall. Behind her, there were three teens, and the bespectacled boy turned to face the scene in shock. His eyes zoned in on the one-eyed vampire, and the half-dead ninja.

"What do you wish for, Fai?" Yuuko stated in a monotone voice, her face the epitome of seriousness.

"I wish to save Kurogane's life." Yuuko quirked an eyebrow almost mockingly in his direction.

"I thought you wanted to die? If Kurogane dies, you will die not soon after, without sustenance." The Dimensional Witch explained calmly, and Fai felt his heart drop.

"Please, Yuuko-san!" He choked back a sob, a single tear rolling down his pale cheek.

"Please don't let Kurogane die!"

"Your wish comes with a price."

"I know! _Please_!" Fai's voice was becoming more and more desperate with every passing moment, for Kurogane's breath was becoming deeper, and every beat of his still pounding heart was slowing.

"Your price will not be permanent, but it will stay for a long time. Kurogane must stay alive for you, otherwise you will die. Now, you will share whatever physical pain he receives, and whatever emotional agony he is going through." Fai's eye widened in bewilderment, and he cocked his head. The hunger that raged within the depths of his mind made understanding anything Yuuko said nearly impossible.

"I don't get it." The vampire said in confusion, blinking at the witch.

"When Kurogane receives a physical wound, you will feel the pain he is experiencing, without the blood or scar. If he is suffering mentally, you will feel his pain. The only way this suffering will leave is when the wounds become pale, white scars – not only the physical ones." Yuuko stated in a mysterious tone, and one of the boys behind her suddenly appeared beside her.

"Aren't those the guys who were here a while ago?" He asked, glancing at Yuuko out of the corner of his multi-coloured eyes.

"Three of them are. The ninja, the mage and the princess. The boy, however, is not the one who was here before – he has left, taking two things that were very important with him." The woman explained with exasperation, frowning at the boy.

"Watanuki-kun, make Doumeki-kun, Himawari-chan and I dinner." Yuuko ordered, and Watanuki stared at her in surprise. There had been some force behind her words, which was odd.

"Uhm… I'll get right on that…" Watanuki stated uncertainly, before turning away and entering the building. The other two teens followed behind him quickly, neither casting a glance back at the projection on the wall.

"Fai, swallow this." Yuuko sighed, pulling a small, golden coloured jewel from a pouch on the table. She tossed it into the black Mokona's mouth, and the white Mokona released it into Fai's waiting hand. Without another word, he threw it into his mouth and swallowed dryly, staring at the Dimensional Witch with a determined look on his face.

"S-Stop, you idio… Idiot…" Kurogane's voice sounded rougher then normal, and Fai glowered down at him.

"You wouldn't let me die; I think I have the right for revenge." Fai snapped viciously, placing a frail hand on the ninja's forehead.

"B-But…" Kurogane began weakly, but it cut off in a gasp as the hand pushed down on his forehead, shoving him further into the hard couch.

"You don't have a choice. Just don't die." Fai turned his attention back onto Yuuko, who was smirking slightly.

"Now what?" He asked, shifting uneasily.

"The price has been received. Now, you must get Mr. Stubborn over there to drink this within two minutes." She held up a bottle between two of her slim fingers.

"If he doesn't… Then the price is negated, and he will die, and you will not have the 'nightmares'." She finished dryly, before tossing the bottle into the Mokona's mouth. It was spit out into Fai's hand, and Yuuko's projection waved slightly in farewell before vanishing entirely. The vampire uncorked the bottle, and knelt swiftly at Kurogane's side.

"Open up, Kurogane." The man remained stubbornly silent, his jaw locked tightly. Fai gave him thirty seconds, before deciding he had no more time to waste. He reached out with his left hand, and pressed hard on the wound between Kurogane's ribcage. The man let out a pained gasp, and Fai upturned the bottle's contents into Kurogane's mouth, watching in satisfaction as the man's lips closed in surprise around the bottle's rim.

The ninja began to struggle – as much as his wounds would allow, that is – and the blonde stood slightly. He threw one leg over the man's hip and straddled him, placing his hands on Kurogane's shoulders. Fai pushed down lightly, shoving the weak body into the couch as the final drops of the liquid escaped down the ninja's throat.

Satisfied with his work, Fai removed the bottle from his mouth and set it on the creaking table, watching the wounds intently. They slowly stopped bleeding out onto the couch, and a small, thin layer of flesh covered over them to protect from infection. Of course, they weren't fully healed, but it was good enough for Fai. Kurogane let out a coughing noise, and his eyes rolled back in his head as he went limp. His breathing evened out as if he was in a peaceful sleep, and his heart resumed its normal pace.

Fai finally thought back to what his price was, and his sapphire eye clouded over as he retreated back into the recesses of his mind.

'_A nightmare, viewing someone else's past… I don't want to view painful pasts. It's something I've been afraid of ever since I had nightmares on my past…_' Fai absentmindedly placed a cold hand on Kurogane's warm cheek, seemingly staring at him.

Syaoran patted Fai on the shoulder a couple times awkwardly, and with a pitiful glance down at the seemingly asleep ninja, he limped off towards his room. Mokona was resting on his shoulder, the ghost of a smile appearing on its face.

Kurogane wasn't going to die, and Fai didn't appear to want him to, either.


	2. The Suffering can only Continue

Note; This is the second chapter for the story

**Note;** This is the second chapter for the story… Enjoy, and please – read and review!

Also… Yeah, I don't know what happened to the townspeople of Suwa. So I'm just going to say that little Kurogane killed them in his fit of madness. w;

**Warnings; **Violence, spoilers for after Acid!Tokyo, and Kurogane's past… KuroFai shonen-ai/yaoi. If you don't like, please don't read.

**Disclaimer;** I do not own _Tsubasa_.

--

_All around him were sakura trees. They dropped their light, rose-coloured petals from their boughs, and one of the petals floated into his pale, outstretched hand. A genuine smile graced his pale, marred face as the black eye patch slipped onto the ground, forgotten in the peaceful moment._

_All of the sudden, there was a tumult nearby. He raised one blonde eyebrow in confusion, and moved towards the space between two cherry blossom trees. There was a crackling feeling in the air, which he recognized as the feel of magic – before it vanished, along with a tormented scream._

"_Mother!" A boy's voice wailed with agony. He moved faster towards the area that the voice had come from, as a terrible screeching sound filled the air. A few huge demons with multiple eyes had come storming through the broken kekkai. _

_One of them was a gruesome sight to behold – an arm, still clutching the blade that it had held before death, was visible hanging from its jaw. Blood dripped from its jaws as it crushed down more on the amputated limb, and from the angle he was on, the man could see part of a long dragon tattoo decorated the left arm. All that was left of the limb was from half the forearm down to the tip of the fingers._

_His breath caught in his throat at the scent of blood in the air – it did not smell very alluring, but it still felt familiar. Shoving that thought away, he rushed forward, his long legs carrying him quickly over the waving grass towards his goal – the house that the demon with the arm was heading for. He could only watch in horror as the demon ripped the roof from the house, and tore part of the wall down along with it._

_Willing himself to run faster, he made his way around the demon's legs, and stared in frightened shock at the scene in front of him. A tanned boy was holding a woman's dead corpse in his left arm, and his spiked hair was the colour of night. Wide, red eyes stared in pain and astonishment at the demon in front of him. The man's eyes were drawn to the woman in the boy's arms, and he saw the stab wound that dripped blood onto the already bloody, stained floor._

_He watched as the boy's red irises and pupils shrunk visibly, and the demon let out a few crunching, crushing and gurgling noises as it finished off the arm in its grasp. The sword fell from a nerveless hand before it disappeared into the demon's mouth entirely, and the blade spun a few times before landing in the ground, hilt facing upwards._

_The boy in front of him slowly reached out with his free hand, and took hold of the hilt of the blade – one the man recognized, but he couldn't seem to remember from where. Without warning, an insane look twisted the boy's features, and he ripped the blade from the ground, and with his mother resting in his left arm, he surged forward. The raven-haired child let out a howl, and began to slice through the ranks of demons. _

_One by one, the black creatures fell to the ground, writhing in pain before the boy repeatedly stabbed them in the chest, hacking away at their remains. Their dark red blood spattered everywhere, coating the boy's chest and arms with the bubbling liquid. He let out another scream and moved onto the next demon, felling it easily and repeating the same pattern over again. The man watched in terrified interest, moving up to examine the demon's destroyed body, noticing how its red eyes were dimmed almost to black in death._

_One of the city inhabitants moved up to check on the boy once the demons' bodies were littered around the area. The woman moved tentatively up to the red-eyed child, and held out a shaky hand to him. With a shriek, he drew back the blade and stabbed it forward into her unsuspecting body-_

--

Fai started awake, breathing heavily. Trying frantically to calm his breathing down, he realized he was in a cold sweat. He had been so confused in his dream, that he could only remember the look on the boy's face, his eyes filled with agony, all the screaming… And the death, and the blood.

A gentle hand came to rest on his shoulder, and he let out a yelp that he could not smother in time.

"Fai-san? I heard you scream…" Sakura's soft voice murmured. The blonde's single eye stared unblinkingly at the brown-haired girl, and she shifted uncomfortably.

"Is it morning?" He asked in a mentally weary voice, and the girl shook her head slightly.

"No. It's still night…" The girl moved again, and her emerald eyes glimmered with a small tint of worry.

"What else is wrong, Sakura-chan?" Fai asked, sitting up fully and trying to clear his mind of that foreboding nightmare. Every time he blinked or closed his eyes, even for a split second, he could see the blood spattering everywhere.

"Kurogane-san… He looks like he's in pain…" Sakura whispered, glancing at the open door to Fai's room. The blonde was on his feet in an instant, and he raced out of the room. Syaoran looked up from his place beside the quivering ninja, and his amber eyes were half-lidded and drooping. His face was twisted with a worried look, and he glanced back at Kurogane.

"He's been like this since you went to bed, Fai-san. We did not wish to wake you, but when we heard you scream, Kurogane-san… Well, he let out a sound… It sounded like a whimper, and like he had said someone's name." The boy murmured softly, furrowing his brow even further.

"Syaoran-kun, Sakura-chan, Mokona… You should all go to bed." The white creature blinked and glanced at Fai from its place on the coffee table, before smiling slightly.

"Of course, Fai-mommy." The vampire blinked in bewilderment at the choice of words, before smiling slightly and pulling Syaoran to his feet. He helped the tired boy into his room, and after getting him into the bed, he was fast asleep. Upon entering the main room, he found Sakura had already retired to her bed, and the white creature was bouncing in after the jade-eyed girl.

Another sound gained his attention moments later, however. Kurogane let out a yelp, and began clawing at the air in front of him. In a flash, the blonde vampire was kneeling at the front of the couch, and he grasped Kurogane's wrists in his long, pale fingers.

"Kurogane…" He called out in a gentle tone, but the man just continued to thrash in his grasp.

"Kurogane… Kurogane, wake up." Fai stated in a tone that was sterner then before, and a bit louder. The man twitched slightly, and his lips trembled.

"Wake up!" The one-eyed man shoved Kurogane's wrists back down onto the couch, and the man awoke with a jolt. His breathing showed to be heavy, like Fai's had when he had been woken up.

"Kurogane, calm down. You're alright." Fai soothed, his iron-like grasp releasing the ninja's wrists as one hand came to grasp Kurogane's. The ninja's hand was shaking violently, like the rest of his body. To Fai's relief, however, those blood red eyes seemed a bit brighter than before – showing that he wasn't going to be dying anytime soon.

"F-Fai?" Kurogane muttered uncertainly, his gaze shifting onto the blonde sitting beside him. Said man was silent for a moment, blinking his confusion away – had the ninja just called him by his name?

"Yes, it's me. You were having a bad dream." Inwardly, Fai cursed himself.

'_Way to be blunt there, idiot._' He stared intently at the ninja's face, before sighing in disappointment as that stoic mask was pulled up to cover the cracks in his mental shell.

"Why would you care?" The cynicism was clear in Kurogane's voice, and Fai gritted his teeth in irritation.

"Because I had a nightmare too!" He snarled, taking the ninja by surprise with his willingness to submit to this argument early on.

"I had a nightmare where a boy went crazy when his mother died in his arms, and a demon dropped a blade into the ground in front of him too! I don't know what's going on, but this boy was crazy! There's no telling that, if he exists at this moment, he won't kill everyone around him!" Fai snapped vehemently, his eye narrowing when he finally finished speaking.

The tanned man gave a flinch, and his crimson eyes clouded over.

"I wonder… What caused him to be like that, mage?" He asked in a thoughtful voice, his eyes not focused on the vampire. Fai quirked an eyebrow in interest, and then pondered the question for a moment.

"Well… Maybe it was the one he loved dying in front of him?" He stated eventually, turning to the ninja for confirmation.

"… Maybe… Maybe it was just everything…" Came the distant reply, and Fai sighed.

"Come on, Kurogane. Go back to sleep, I'll be here with you." He muttered, tightening his grip on the man's hand. Kurogane stiffened, and turned his now bright gaze back onto the blonde.

"Who are you telling me what to do?" Kurogane snapped viciously, his eyelids lowering until the crimson peeked out through dangerous slits.

"I know you need to rest, and so do I. So quit being stubborn!" Fai retorted smoothly.

"… Tch. So troublesome." Kurogane muttered under his breath, before laying himself back down onto the ragged pillow. Just as his eyes closed, and he began to drift off into a light, uneasy sleep, he heard the vampire's voice enter his mind.

"And if something's wrong… Please don't hide it from me… Because I want to help…" The blonde man whispered in a tortured voice, still holding onto the ninja's hand as Kurogane dropped back off into the warm confines of slumber.

--

Fai waited until he knew Kurogane was asleep before crawling up onto the couch beside the taller man. He rested his head on the ninja's chest as silent tears rolled down his face. His eye slowly shut, revealing to him those painful images of the boy's past. Something seemed to chase them away, though, and those dreams – no, nightmares – were replaced by darkness. Black in every direction, no light shining in the distance. It was somewhat soothing, though – it seemed to submerge him in its depths, and comfort him with its oddly chilling warmth.

Before he knew it, his tears had dried on his face, and he fell asleep curled up beside the stoic ninja.

Both of them dreamt of slipping into darkness.

--

The next day found the vampire sitting on the broken piece of furniture, his feet planted firmly on the floor. The ninja's steady breathing and pulse was soothing to his ears – it showed that Kurogane wasn't going to die, and neither was he… For now, he hoped.

"Good morning, Fai-san." Syaoran yawned widely as he walked out of the room, and gave the blonde a small smile.

"Same to you, Syaoran-kun. You were very tired last night – did you sleep well?" Fai cocked his head, the blonde locks falling over the rough, worn eye patch.

"Actually, yes. How did you sleep?" A hint of concern crept into the boy's voice, and he blinked his amber eyes before rubbing at them with the back of his hand.

"I slept better… I did not dream." He murmured thoughtfully, his brows furrowing slightly.

"That's good. If you didn't dream, you did not have a nightmare. Kurogane-san seems a bit better now." The boy was right – the ninja's face seemed more peaceful, and his breathing was not as harsh.

Fai was about to respond, when the other closed door gave a small 'click' and opened. The brown-haired princess entered the room, her face more pleasant in the pale morning light that streamed in through the dirty windows.

"Good morning, Fai-san, Syaoran-kun." She spoke in a calm voice, and the white creature dove off of her shoulder, tackling Fai in the chest and clinging to him tightly.

"Fai! Syaoran!" Mokona cried out happily, snuggling into Fai's warm embrace.

"Good morning, Mokona." The two males replied simultaneously, and the blonde felt his face twitch into a small grin.

"You're loud."

"Oh, sorry, Kurogane- Kurogane?" Fai's head snapped around, and his single blue eye was locked into a staring contest with the larger man. Kurogane eased himself into a sitting position as the vampire leaped to his feet and turned to face him.

"Yeah." The ninja's face had recovered its eternal scowl, and Syaoran gave the stoic man a soft smile.

"I'm glad you're alright, Kurogane-san. Mokona has more of a lead on the feather – the magic of the creature which attacked you was blocking the magical waves from Sakura-hime's memories." He stated calmly, stretching his arms as the white creature began to bounce up and down repeatedly on Fai's shoulder.

"Ah… I see. Well, where is it, manjuu?" The tanned man stood up quickly, and then winced. He raised a hand to his head, attempting to remove the dizzy spell that had overcome him.

A blinding flash of pain shot through Fai, and he let out a gasp. His vision wavered uncertainly, and he swayed on his feet. Kurogane stepped forward and placed his hand on Fai's left shoulder, holding the man upright warily.

"You should drink." The ninja stated bluntly, narrowing his blood red eyes in annoyance.

"… I-I think I should…" Fai responded in a cracking voice, blinking the dizzy feeling away. The pain remained – it burned like acid in his side. There was an empty feeling inside of him, which the vampire wrote off as hunger.

Kurogane cocked an eyebrow in surprise – normally, Fai fought with all of his strength against drinking his blood.

"Alright. Manjuu, my blade." He muttered, and the white creature gave a sad nod. Mokona opened its mouth, and the long sword shot out and landed in Kurogane's outstretched hand. Releasing Fai's shoulder, the man moved Souhi out of its sheath and lowered it to his wrist. The steel edge of the blade slid cleanly through the tanned flesh, and the man did not even wince. Fai felt a ripping pain in his wrist, and he unconsciously clenched his other hand around it.

"You alright, mage?" The other man's gruff voice caused Fai to look up for a moment, confusion decorating his face. Kurogane rolled his eyes and gestured with his blood covered hand at Fai's wrist.

"You're holding your wrist like you're injured." He explained in exasperation, and Fai followed his gaze down onto his arm. Pulling his hand away gently, he cautiously looked down at the wrist.

There was no mark.

There was nothing to show that he was injured there.

His left wrist was throbbing as he looked down at the blood covering Kurogane's left hand. There was something going on here, but he could not seem to grasp onto the concept of the price he had paid.

"Drink." Kurogane ordered in a severe tone, brandishing his sliced wrist in front of Fai's mouth like someone would a trophy. Fai gave in without a moment's thought, lowering his fanged mouth onto the open wound. After drinking the blood that was slowly coming out for a few seconds, he dug his fangs in – and ignored the stabbing pain that entered his own left wrist. The hollow feeling inside of him grew as he drank, and after a while, he fearfully retracted his fangs from Kurogane's skin and pulled away like he had been burned.

"I'm fine now." He murmured, wiping at his crimson-stained lips. Ignoring the other man's distrustful gaze, Fai turned to face the princess.

"Where is the feather, Mokona?" The blonde asked, keeping his gaze focused on the brown-haired girl in front of him.

"Somewhere in this hotel…" The white creature responded uncertainly.

"But the feather is moving, and Mokona thinks it's leaving the hotel. So Mokona wants Fai, Kurogane and Syaoran to be careful." Fai's hard, stone-cold gaze softened as he raised a hand, pressing it lightly to the top of Mokona's head.

"No. You two stay here." Fai and Syaoran both turned in shock to stare at the ninja – even the emotionless princess had a bewildered look on her face.

"But Kurogane-san-" Syaoran began quickly, but he was cut off by a stern glare.

"No, kid. You're not going to sway me. I feel fine." Kurogane snapped vehemently. Ignoring his tattered clothes that revealed his wounds and healing bruises, and without even so much as a glance in Fai's direction, he spun on his heel and stalked out the door.

"… Fai-san?" The girl inquired, blinking her jade-green eyes a few times at the blonde vampire. The man stood staring at the closed door, his single eye having widened so much that the eyelids were twitching rapidly. He had seen that look on someone's face before – a look of utter agony. He had felt it, too – which brought him to his final conclusion.

"Oh… Kami…" Fai muttered, raising a hand and placing it over his eyes.

"What's wrong, Fai-san?" Syaoran asked, slowly approaching the blonde with concern evident on his slightly tanned features.

"That price I paid to the Dimensional Witch… I finally understand it." He murmured in disbelief. The other three in the room exchanged worried glances – even the princess – before turning their undivided attention onto the other man.

"When Kurogane feels physical pain, I will feel it too. When he feels emotional pain, it will affect me as well… And with this bond, we share dreams too. So he was dreaming about the boy…"

Syaoran's face took on a look of determination, and he stared with an unwavering gaze into Fai's single, cold eye.

"What boy."

--

"Hand it over, you sniveling coward!"

"No! I-I won't!"

The sound of metal being released rang through the still air of the musty bar, and the cold edge of the blade was pressed against the cowering man's neck. He immediately went still, the object clutched tightly in his hands.

"I told you." The crimson-eyed man glowered balefully down at his victim.

"_Hand it over._" He repeated in a deadly tone, pressing Souhi closer to the man's jugular vein. Said male yelped quickly, and all-but threw the feather at Kurogane. The tanned man snatched the white piece of plumage from the air with his left hand, and sheathed Souhi quickly.

"Good." The ninja smirked coldly, and as he moved to turn away a punch caught his cheek and sent him stumbling forward. Whipping around with an animalistic snarl, Kurogane retracted his arm and sent it forward with such speed and power that it struck the man right between the eyes, spun him around and knocked him out cold. A brawl finally broke out, and the ninja's red eyes narrowed.

A man came racing at him, and he caught the male's movements out of his peripheral visions. Kurogane bent forward at the waist, and the man went flying over him and crashed into another brawler. He tripped another figure and struck one in the chest with a powerful kick, sending him flying. After a few curse words and bruises added to his already battered body, the muscled ninja vanished into the shadows and raced out of the bar, heading back to the hotel.

Little did he know of the chaos that would await him when he returned with his prize, and with bruises littering his tanned chest, there was bound to be some interrogation.

--

"So… You're saying this boy went insane?" Syaoran began unsteadily, his face a mixture of surprise and worry.

"Yes. The dream did not carry on long enough for me to see what happened next, but from what I had seen, the boy stabbed a woman after killing the demons." Fai responded, staring at his hands. Suddenly, he let out a yell, and clapped his hand to his cheek. It felt like someone had landed a good punch there.

"Fai-san?!" The boy cried out in shock, and leaped up from his seat on the couch. Fai let out another shout of pain as he felt like he had been struck in the chest, and the burning sensation reappeared in his side.

"T-That idiot!" He ground out through gritted fangs, and they all faced the door expectantly. They did not have to wait long, though – the handle on the door lowered quickly, and the door swung open.

--

Kurogane stared in confusion at the sight in front of him – the mage was hunched over on the old chair in the main room of their apartment, watching the ninja with a gaze that revealed he was quite angry. Syaoran had the same face as always – his concerned frown was going to give him some pain in his cheeks later. Sakura had left the room when Fai had doubled over in pain, and she was hiding in her room with Mokona on her shoulder.

"… I got the feather." The ninja held out the hand with the feather in it, and before the boy could make any move to take it, the vampire had shot up in front of Kurogane and knocked the feather from his hand. Ignoring the brief flash of pain in his own hand, he took hold of the ninja's collar and tugged him forward.

"What the Hell is wrong with you, you complete and utter idiot?!" Fai hissed in a hostile way, his azure eye flaring molten gold momentarily before switching back.

"M-Mage?!" Kurogane stuttered in astonishment, his upper body tilted downwards more than usual, with the force on pulling on his collar.

"You got yourself beaten more! Come on, take the shirt off. We've still got the first aid kit up here – we're wrapping up your wounds." Fai snarled viciously, before releasing Kurogane's collar. Said man just stared dumbly at him, frozen in the hunched over position. The blonde gave a sigh of exasperation, and his fingernails lengthened into claws.

Grasping the collar with his left hand, he drew his pointer finger's claw down the middle of the ripped shirt sharply, tearing it open further. Moving quickly, Fai removed Kurogane's arms from the piece of fabric, and surveyed the damage. The wound in his side had a thin, almost transparent layer of skin covering the gaping, burned hole. There were multiple bruises littering his skin, and some had turned a nasty shade of purple.

Fai growled deep in his throat, causing Kurogane to stiffen once more.

'_Since when does the idiot growl at me?!_' He thought to himself, unnerved in spite of the fact that he knew he should trust the vampire.

"Syaoran-kun, please get the first aid kit from your room. Kurogane, come and sit on the couch." The blonde spun around and strode to the ragged couch, gesturing at it. Numbly, the ninja obeyed the order given to him, and took a seat hesitantly. The brown-haired boy returned hurriedly from his room, closing the door silently behind him as he handed Fai the dirtied kit.

"Sit still." The blonde commanded with a pointed glare in Kurogane's general direction, and the ninja nodded his head slightly. Clicking open the kit in disgust, Fai scrounged through the meager supplies until he tugged out the roll of gauze. The man inserted a fingernail underneath the edge of the white bandages and pried it upwards, before tugging out and placing the edge on one side of Kurogane's ribcage. Fai began to move the roll of gauze in a circle around the ninja, the bandages covering up the gruesome wounds and bruising.

"Mokona?" Fai called out into the air, and another door clicked softly. The white creature hopped out and stared innocently up at the vampire.

"Yes, Fai?"

"Please bring out the clothing from two worlds ago. Kurogane here ruined his." The white creature nodded before expelling a large bag from its mouth.

The ninja could only watch in bemusement as the one-eyed vampire rummaged through the clothing, and tugged out the black shirt he had worn in the world prior to this destroyed one. Fai turned slightly and tossed the shirt at Kurogane, catching him right in the face with the piece of fabric.

"Put that on, and then take a nap. I don't want you leaving here until you're feeling better, and not in pain."

"But I'm not in pain-" Kurogane began sheepishly, even though he knew the attempt would be futile, in all probability.

"I beg to differ. I should know – you _are_ in pain, you just won't show it, you stubborn jerk." The vampire raised his head and huffed, stalking out of the main room and slamming the door to his small, ramshackle bedroom.

Both of the others in the room just stared after him in shock – Mokona swallowed the bag of clothing once more, and vanished into Sakura's room.

"… The feather's over there, kid… I think I'm going to retire to my bedroom… Later." Kurogane tugged the black shirt over his head, lowering it carefully over his gauze-wrapped torso. He stood up and walked slowly into one of the five doors in the main room, closing it softly behind him as he threw himself face down onto the bed.

"… I'm sorry…" The man's voice was muffled by his pillow, and he crossed his arms underneath it for comfort purposes. His head was tilted to the side to allow breathing space, and his eyes slid shut.

--

Syaoran watched the man slink dejectedly away into the other room, before he made his way over to the feather and grasped it. Another memory had been gained – but what were they worth anymore?

Shoving that question to the back of his mind, he started in surprise when he felt a presence approaching him from behind.

"What is it, Syaoran-kun?" Sakura asked in a dull voice, her jade-green eyes boring holes into the back of the boy's head. He turned around and held the feather out to the princess, who stared at it like it was something infected with the plague.

"… Thank you."

"Kurogane-san got it for you."

"I will thank him later then."

"… Are you-"

"I'll be taking it into my room with me. That way, I can sleep without bothering anyone." Sakura snatched the feather from Syaoran's outstretched hand, and – ignoring the agony that showed as clear as day on his face – stalked back into her room, leaving him alone with his unwanted thoughts once more.

'… _Why does it have to be this way?_' Syaoran shook his head, and sank down onto the couch, leaning back against the rigid frame and closing his amber eyes.

--

_The woman moved tentatively up to the red-eyed child, and held out a shaky hand to him. With a shriek, he drew back the blade and stabbed it forward into her unsuspecting body. The rest of the townspeople gasped and cried out in their shock as the woman let out a choked noise and fell to the ground, sliding off the edge of the blade and laying in a pool of her own blood._

_Men and women alike began to run in every which direction, attempting to escape the growing madness of the Lord's son. The blonde could only watch in growing horror as men were having limbs hacked off, women were being stabbed through and left to die, writhing in unimaginable agony on the ground. Children were being decapitated in front of their parents and friends._

_The boy continued on this murderous rampage, and every time someone would attempt to stop him, he would let out another wail of insanity and run them through. By the time he stopped moving around, all of the townspeople lay dead. Their corpses were strewn around the area, scattered around him in a wide radius._

_The man slowly began to approach the boy, but as he moved to place a comforting hand on his shoulder, his hand went right through the figure. All he could do was stand back and watch in sorrow as the boy's heavy breathing continued on for hours on end, and the sky went dark with nighttime and the smoke from the fires created by the multi-eyed demons._

_Finally, a carriage approached, with a regal woman at the front of it. She was seated on a white steed, and she wore the armour of a warrior._

_He could not hear the woman's words, but the boy reacted in a harsh way – his blade sliced very close to the woman's face, and drew a small amount of blood from her left cheek. With another few words to the familiar ninja beside her, a group of shinobi were sent to restrain the boy – and died in the process._

_As a smaller figure exited the carriage and began to approach the boy, he lunged forward to stab her through, the body of his mother remaining tight within the grip of his left arm. The sword was swung in an arc, aiming to slice right through her frail body-_

--

The vampire sat bolt upright, fear painting his blue eye a harsher colour in the dim lighting. He forced himself to calm down – it was just another nightmare that Kurogane was having, nothing else. But something about this dream made him think that this boy existed somewhere – it was time he spoke to Syaoran about it once more.

Swinging his unnaturally long legs over the side of the rickety bed, he stood swiftly and exited the room.

"Syaoran-kun?"

"Yes, Fai-san?"

"Why are you still awake?" The suspicion was clear in the blonde's voice, and the brunette just smiled lightly back at him.

"Because I was waiting to see if you would have another nightmare, and if you would wish to speak with me about it." He responded calmly, moving over and patting the space on the couch beside him invitingly. Fai sighed as he took a seat beside the boy, and he stared at him uneasily.

"This time… It started where it left off. This boy, he… He killed all of the people in the town… Then, he remained in one place for about three, four hours or so… Then a carriage came up, with a woman on a white horse leading them. He cut her across the face, killed the other woman's ninjas, and then went to kill the little girl who had come to help him…" Fai shuddered at the memory.

He was so engrossed with remembering what had happened, that he didn't notice the pair of crimson eyes that were staring at him from another doorway.

"Do you think this boy exists?" He asked suddenly, and Syaoran looked slightly taken aback.

"A-Ah, I do think he exists somewhere." The amber-eyed boy replied, recovering his composure quicker then most. Kurogane quirked an eyebrow at this – hearing his past coming from Fai's mouth was weird enough, but now Fai couldn't even recognize the red eyes, the original silver blade named 'Ginryuu' – he had given the duplicate to the Dimensional Bitch for a price – and the black hair.

"Well, I think that if I find this boy… I should kill him." Two pairs of eyes widened in astonishment at this new statement.

"Why?!" Syaoran asked nervously, wringing his hands uneasily in his lap.

"Well, he's killed them all off. There's no telling what he's doing right now!" The blonde replied in a harsh voice, furrowing his brow. Suddenly, he found a blade being shoved into his hand – upon further inspection, the sword was Souhi. Standing up and turning in confusion, he stared down on the kneeling Kurogane.

"Kurogane? What's going on?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. Souhi had been unsheathed, and the silver blade gleamed eerily in the light.

"You said you wanted to kill the boy if you found him." The ninja's gruff voice seemed sharper than usual.

"… Yes." Fai blinked once, awaiting an answer from the other man.

But nothing could prepare him for what Kurogane would say next.

"Congratulations – you've found him. Go ahead, kill the boy – I'm right here."


	3. But They'll get through it Together

**Note;** Ohkay… Here is chapter three, the final chapter. Yes, I left it at a cliffhanger last time; I had that planned from the beginning. (: I hope you enjoy chapter three. ( Bleh, I'm bad at romance, please don't hit me. D; )

**Disclaimer; **I do not own _Tsubasa_ – CLAMP does. ;;

**Warnings; **There _will_ be FaiKuro in this chapter. (: Finally~ xD; So, there's yaoi/shonen-ai, kinda lime-ish… o-o Thanks to my dearest Flair-of-Fire, who assisted me with my choice of words in the fluff section of this chapter, and also helped me decide what Kurogane would taste like. xD; Ah, and swearing… Only once, though, I think.

----------

"_Congratulations – you've found him. Go ahead, kill the boy – I'm right here._" Those were the words that broke Fai's heart. His single eye widened in utter shock, and he stared down upon the kneeling Kurogane. Said man was staring up at him with a dull gaze, no hope left in his crimson eyes.

"W-Wait… So you weren't just viewing a boy?"

"No, dipshit. I don't know how you didn't recognize me." Kurogane retorted smoothly.

"Well… I don't remember certain faces from dreams, but I remember things that happened… I thought he looked familiar, but it was so clouded there that I couldn't tell… Everyone else had different coloured eyes, so I thought… You were having nightmares about your own past?" Fai replied unsteadily, crouching in front of the ninja.

"What's it to you." Came the irritated response, and Kurogane averted his gaze for what seemed like the first time since Fai had met him. The blonde furrowed his brow, intently searching Kurogane's face for anything that might give him away.

"Kurogane, let me help you-" The vampire began in a gentle tone, but he was cut off by a disbelieving snort.

"You? Help _me_?! You can't even help yourself, _Fai_!" Kurogane snapped vehemently, his eyes locking onto Fai's once more.

"You just keep running from everything! Sometimes, you can't run!" The ninja was suddenly towering over the crouching blonde, his eyes blazing with anger.

"I can try!" Fai shouted back, leaping to his feet and raising his head slightly to look the other man in the eye.

"Running only got your eye eaten, you idiot! What happens when he wakes up?! We'll probably run into him, and it won't be coincidence – it will be 'hitsuzen', like that demented old witch says all the time!" The ninja continued, placing his hands on his hips and glaring down at the vampire.

"Well, I wouldn't be suffering like this if you hadn't changed me into this bloodsucking monster!"

"I wouldn't have had to if you had just stayed away from the kid! You should have known that you wouldn't have been able to return the eye and heart to him!" The tanned man leaned down further, his face finally coming level with the blonde man's.

"Maybe I was just trying to help!"

"For one of the few times you've tried to help us, you tried to fix something that was so broken that you couldn't even find all of the pieces!"

"That's what I feel like! Kurogane, Ashura's dead! He was the dragon – he's been killed now!" Fai screeched, and the tanned man just stopped and stood still.

"You may be fragile and broken, mage… But pushing everyone away is just going to shatter you further. It's clearly not helping your state of mentality." Kurogane's voice took on a deathly calm tone, and suddenly a cracking sound echoed through the room. The tanned man stumbled back abruptly as Fai's fist connected harshly with his chest, a neutral look prominent on his handsome face.

Fai raised the same hand to his chest, feeling the pain of his own punch rebound onto him. Without another word, the raven-haired man stalked back into his bedroom and slammed the door shut. The blonde stared dumbly after him, before a hand came to rest on his shoulder.

"You should leave him be for a while, Fai-san…" The boy sighed sadly, before coming around in front of the blonde and facing him nervously.

"Were you actually going to kill the boy?" The man nodded slightly.

"If you had known it was Kurogane-san, would you still have made that threat?"

"… W-What?" Fai asked in surprise, quirking an eyebrow at the boy.

"If you had known that the boy who had gone insane was Kurogane-san… Would you have made that promising threat to kill him?" Syaoran asked in a serious voice, his amber eyes hiding every other emotion from view.

"… No…" Fai murmured in bewilderment, surprising himself with his own answer.

"I wouldn't have made that threat… I don't think I could wish that on him… I…" Syaoran cut him off by patting his shoulder comfortingly, walking past him.

"We'll leave tonight, when the townspeople are all asleep. You've got all day to speak with Kurogane-san about this." With that, the brunet vanished into his room, closing his door and leaving Fai alone with his muddled thoughts.

"Why do I feel this way…" The vampire sank to his knees, shaking visibly. Tears streamed from his single eye as a hand came up, clutching feebly at the left side of his chest. The fabric of his shirt was fisted painfully tight within his grasp, and he trembled with a choked sob.

"Why does it hurt so much… Why do I continue to feel pulled towards him…" Fai closed his eye as a wave of emotional pain crashed over him, and he realized it wasn't his.

'_I think I love him…_'

-------------

The burning sun had risen high into the sky, before dropping towards the opposite horizon. Fai remained silently in the main room, sitting on the couch, preoccupied with his own thoughts.

"Fai-san?" The blonde started – he had forgotten that Sakura had entered the room a while back.

"Yes, Sakura-chan?" Fai smiled pleasantly in her direction.

"We're going to be leaving soon." The girl's emotionless voice resembled the look on her face. The blonde nodded forlornly, and the girl turned away, entering her own room. Syaoran had not come out for the entire day – Fai was under the impression that the boy was trying to think of ways to get Sakura to trust him.

The vampire sat in the same, rigid position for another hour, as the tormenting sun dipped below the horizon and painted the smoke-filled sky bright colours. Finally, Fai reached a decision and stood up swiftly, stalking towards the ninja's room. His face was set in a grim look of determination, and he pressed down on the handle of the door, throwing it open.

Kurogane was on his back on the bed, his crimson eyes closed. The black shirt was riding up slightly, revealing the white bandages curled around his upper torso. Fai's breath caught in his throat at the blood that had leaked through the bandages and stained the black fabric. He slowly approached the bed, and slithered onto the side beside the ninja.

"… What the Hell do you want." Fai jumped and bristled in astonishment at the ninja's voice. He let out a nervous laugh, and smiled slightly.

"Ah, how did you know it was me…" His voice was soft, as he pulled himself up further and straddled the ninja. Kurogane's red eyes shot open, and he glared balefully up at him.

"What the Hell do you think you're doing?" He spat angrily, and Fai just gave him a cat-like smirk.

"This." With one word, he leaned down and captured Kurogane's rough lips with his own. He pressed against them fervently, ignoring the man's wide eyes. After a moment, he slowly pulled away, savouring the odd taste of dark chocolate that filled his senses. The ninja lay limp beneath him, his wide crimson eyes staring blankly up at the vampire, his mouth remaining closed. Finally, it opened, and a single stammered word came out.

"W-Why?" Kurogane's voice was hoarse, as if he hadn't used it in a while. He cleared his throat a few times unsuccessfully, and Fai just smirked down at his prey.

"It may have taken me a long time to finally understand, Kurogane. But, thank you – for finally helping me realize it." The vampire swooped down and connected their lips once more. He took advantage of the man's partially open mouth, and deepened the kiss. The ninja moaned into his mouth, trembling violently underneath him. Fai quirked an eyebrow and tugged his mouth away from Kurogane's reluctantly.

"You alright?" He whispered seductively, stroking the man's cheek before resting his elbows beside the man's head, leaning over his face. His warm breath ghosted over Kurogane's cheek, and the ninja twitched slightly.

"… I-I… I don't know…" Came the uncertain reply, and Fai's eyebrow raised even further.

"We'll just have to fix that, now won't we?" Fai's smirk widened, and he lowered his mouth to the man's neck, biting down. Kurogane let out a whimper, arching up underneath the vampire as small droplets of blood formed on his skin, only to be lapped up by his tongue. Another groan escaped his lips, and his eyes closed halfway.

"Now are you alright?" Fai asked, pressing a gentle kiss to Kurogane's jugular vein, hearing the sweet sound of blood pumping quickly through his bait's body. The man's cheeks were flushed a rosy shade of pink, and through his half-lidded eyes, he glared at the man. Fai sat up on Kurogane's hips, grinning skeptically down at the tanned man.

"… If I say yes, will you leave me alone?" The man asked breathlessly, quivering once more as a pale hand rested on his gauze-covered middle, and began to draw circles on the dirtied fabric.

"… No. Because you're not telling me the truth." Kurogane would have replied, but his mouth was otherwise occupied by Fai for a third time. Finally, the larger man gave into temptation and wrapped his muscled arms around Fai's pale neck, drawing him downwards. The ninja could feel Fai's lips smile against his, as his red eyes closed fully. After a small while, Kurogane's lungs began to scream for oxygen. The blonde pulled back momentarily, before giving him a soft peck on the cheek and sitting up fully, unhooking the other man's arms from around his neck.

"Now how do you feel?" Fai chuckled briefly, noting the glaze that coated Kurogane's normally vibrant eyes.

"Dizzy." The other man responded honestly, and the vampire couldn't help but laugh at the slightly peaceful look on his face.

"We're going to be leaving soon, Kuro-sama." The man's eyes shot open entirely, and he blinked in bewilderment.

"W-What?!"

"I said we're leaving soon-" Fai began to repeat, but the ninja's hand latched onto his wrist in a painfully tight grip.

"What did you just call me?" The man's voice held newfound hope, along with underlying pain from the past and torment.

"Kuro-sama… Are you feeling alright? Did you hit your head a little _too_ hard?" Fai's mocking voice was hard to mistake for something else, and a wave of relief washed over the stoic ninja. The prominent scowl vanished entirely, and the lines creasing his face left, along with the furrowing of his brow. His eyes softened, and he gave the vampire the ghost of a smile.

"I feel fine… Idiot."

A happy feeling blossomed inside of Fai's stomach, and he realized that it did not only come from him. He had finally taken a step towards healing both the ninja, and himself.

-----

"Mokona? We're ready to leave!" Fai called in a bright voice, another pleasant smile adorning his pale face.

"Of course, Fai!" Came the cheery response from the white creature, which promptly swallowed all of the items they were taking with them.

"Syaoran-kun? You coming?"

"Of course, Fai-san. Just give me one moment. Would you like me to get Kurogane-san?" The muffled voice came from behind the closed door, and Fai chuckled softly.

"No, it's alright, Syaoran-kun. I'll get Kuro-sama." A thud came from behind the door, and it opened slowly. The boy stared at him, astonishment clear on his young face.

"W-What? Did you just call Kurogane-san-" He began slowly, but Fai raised a hand.

"Yes, I called Kuro-sama by his name. Anyways, I'll go get him, if you're ready." The blonde spun on his heel and knocked on the other man's door, only to have it open halfway through one knock, which landed on Kurogane's chest.

Said ninja let out a growl of irritation, and glared irritably down at the blonde.

"What were you doing?" He hissed, and Fai just smirked up at him.

"Well, I was going to knock on your door, but then you came out." Kurogane growled as Fai placed a delicate kiss on his cheek.

"Now come on, Kuro-sama. We're leaving any minute." Glancing over his shoulder at the dumbstruck boy, his grin widened.

"You alright, Syaoran-kun?"

"… Y-Yes, Fai-san… Are you?" Came the hesitant reply that brought a small smirk to the ninja's face.

"When is this idiot ever okay?"

"Wah, Kuro-sama's so mean." Fai pouted, before Mokona's voice filled the room.

"Mokona Modoki is totally excited! Ah, puu~" Their forms began to waver as the magic circle appeared beneath the white creature. Giving Kurogane one more gentle smile, the group vanished into Mokona's mouth.

They were moving onto another world.

And maybe this time, they would be able to get through it together.

As a family.


End file.
